


Sexuality Support

by tatterwitch



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Acephobia, Alternate Universe - High School, Asexual Castiel, Best Friends, Biphobia, Bisexual Dean, Gen, Sassy Castiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 08:58:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6417187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatterwitch/pseuds/tatterwitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Castiel inadvertently comes out during Health Class, Ms. Masters seems determined to undermine is identity. But a few classmates jump to his defense and it becomes clear that Castiel isn't the only one who wants to come out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sexuality Support

Castiel inadvertently came out as an asexual during his high school’s health and sexual education course.

He’d suffered through years of the same inaccurate, objectified, close-minded classes throughout his school career. Every child his own age had. And Castiel hated the fact that he was part of the ever-growing number of people being raised to think that there was something inherently wrong or broken within them.

Castiel had spent his adolescent years researching sexuality and gender and all the things that were fluid within human beings in the hope that he would discover why he was the way he was.

He’d never been more relieved to finally put a name to himself. Asexual; not possessing of sexual desire. Cas never really found anything having to do with that area of life worth chasing. Sex just wasn’t something Cas was interested in. He did, however, have a healthy appreciation for people’s appearances and aesthetics. He just never wanted to be…intimate with any of them.

And so, during that fateful class, Castiel opened his mouth to inform the teacher that there were other sexualities beyond those of heterosexual and homosexual. Which led to an argument in which the stuffy, obtuse woman demanded that he name one person who fell outside those categories.

“Me,” Castiel blurted, chest burning with anger and determination to make this woman see the error of her ways.

The whole room had been silent during their back-and-forth. Then, it erupted into heated whispers and gasps as the other students widened their eyes and covered their mouths.

Castiel felt his stomach drop into his toes and his heart rise into his throat. The tops of his ears and cheeks burned. All he wanted was for the floor to open beneath him and swallow him whole.

The rest of the day had been fairly unpleasant.

A trip to the principal’s office, a phone-call to his mother, and the subsequent picking-up only garnered further attention for Castiel. The social media sites were abuzz. Anna came home and pestered Castiel until he was forced to lock his door and raise the volume of his iPod so loud, his ears ached.

Castiel went out of his way to avoid the next day of school. Going so far as to worry so much, he nearly made himself sick.

It was like, suddenly, he was a social leper. People cleared paths for him in the halls, eyeing him with contempt, pity, curiosity, and a morbid sort of fearful fascination. As if by coming to close, they, too, would fall victim to the devastating disease that was asexuality.

The hour arrived for that most hated of classes.

Castiel took his seat and did his best to ignore the stares and whispers. He clenched his jaw and glared at the teacher. Her smug face etched with a mocking smile sent his blood rushing with resentment and anger.

She began her tedious, dated lectures again without further ado. Only, this time, when she began out-lining the same old sexualities yet again, something different happened. 

The boy sat beside Castiel shifted almost imperceptibly. 

Castiel recognized his dark blond hair and freckled cheeks easily. Dean Winchester was a member of the school’s football team, well-renowned for his talent and his intelligence, when he deigned to share it.

Dean swallowed loudly, throat clicking. His fingers curled into fists atop his thighs before smoothing out and tightening again. His leg jumped restlessly beneath his desk as he cleared his throat and slowly, slowly raised one hand.

Their teacher arched one brow and nodded for Dean to speak.

“Ya know, Ms. Masters, I think we really need to talk about the other kinds of sexuality that are out there.”

Ms. Masters made a face like she thought Dean was joking.

“Mr. Winchester, Castiel already tried these shenanigans yesterday.”

Dean’s spine straightened and a bit of steel entered his voice.

“Ma’am, they’re not shenanigans. Callin’ them names like that, you’re callin’ those people who identify as those other sexualities- You’re basically invalidating them and everything they’ve been through.”

Castiel stared raptly at Dean, eyes wide.

Ms. Masters let out an exasperated sound.

“Other sexualities are invalid. They’re new-fangled concepts that are nothing more than fads-”

“Ms. Masters,” Another voice spoke up from beside Castiel.

Sam Winchester, Castiel realized, had sat on his other side. Beside the lanky boy with floppy hair was Jessica Moore, his girlfriend since middle school. Jessica’s blue haze was flickering between Ms. Masters, Dean, Sam, and Castiel.

Whenever she managed to catch Castiel’s eye, she gave him a warm smile.

Sam continued speaking.

“Ms. Masters, sexualities other than heterosexuality and homosexuality predate ancient Rome and Greece. Bisexuality, asexuality, pansexuality, and many more I’m sure I’m forgetting about are just as valid as heterosexuality.”

Ms. Masters scoffed.

“Next you’ll be saying that you’re one of these ridiculous things, Sam. So please, spare me the egregious tales about myths and ancient fairytales. I will not hesitate to send the next person who speaks on this stupidity to the principal.”

Beside Castiel, Dean took a deep, shuddering breath before rapping his knuckles against his desk’s surface.

“Sam’s straight, Ms. Masters. I’m not.” Dean wriggled a little before fisting his hands again and raising his chin. “I’m bisexual. I like girls and guys. It’s a real thing and I am a real person. So. You can call Mr. Hendrickson now and tell him you’re sending the star quarterback to his office because, I assure you, you will like less what happens to you than I like this stupid-ass class.”

The sound that Ms. Masters made bordered on barely-contained outrage.

One phone-call and a near-riot later, Castiel, Dean, Sam, and Jess were seated in the principal’s office while Dean explained the situation.

Castiel admired Dean’s bravery for coming out so brazenly and defiantly. He admired Dean and the way he stood up to Ms. Masters, the way he refused to be taken for anything less than an equal. Cas admired Dean even more when, at the end of the conversation, Mr. Hendrickson had drawn up Ms. Master’s termination papers.

For the rest of the afternoon, the four of them loitered on and beneath the bleachers. Jess shared a bag of potato chips with the boys as she held Castiel’s hand and praised him for being so brave to start such an important conversation. 

Castiel blushed under her attention and kind words. Sam discussed what he’d learned during his research last night. Castiel was more than pleased to share his personal findings with Sam. Their conversation ran on until the bell signalling the end of the day rang shrilly.

Sam and Jess bid Castiel good-bye as the two raced off to catch a ride from Mr. Moore so they could study together.

Dean kicked at a hunk of loose sod and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. 

“That was very brave, Dean, coming out in front of the class.” Castiel murmured quietly as he packed up his books.

The buses would be leaving in ten minutes and Cas hated it when he had to call Michael or Gabriel for a ride when he missed one.

Dean laughed a little, his freckles standing out when he blushed.

“It was nothing, Cas. You started it, ya know? I-I’d always felt kinda…Out pf place. Like nothing really fit me. I liked girls plenty. But I, uh, I also liked guys. But no one I knew felt the same. And every class I’d ever had never said anything about being anything other than straight or gay. So, I, uh, I just thought that I was broken or something for a long time. Until you spoke up the other day.”

Dean slanted a smile at Castiel, lips quirking up crookedly in a way that was both rakish and endearing. 

“Soon as I got home from practice, I set right to lookin’ up all of the stuff you’d said. And, bam, I, uh, I found the name for what I was. It’s like, it sounds stupid, but, it’s like a weight’s off my shoulders. And I wouldn’t have lost it without you, Cas. So thanks.”

A hot lump rose in Castiel’s throat, causing him to have to swallow and clear his throat before he could speak.

“It’s no problem, Dean. And I am glad that I, in some way, helped you.”

Cas looked out into the lot and stifled a groan. The buses had all left. Cas voiced that much when Dean gave him a worried look.

“Cas, man, I can give you a ride home if you want. Me an’ the Impala are at your beck and call.”

Over the next two years, Castiel became one of the honorary-Winchester Clan. Along with Jess, a redhead named Charlie, and the mullet-haired Ash, Cas passed through his years at high school.

Dean was his best friend; the light-haired boy with a heart of gold hidden beneath an exterior of gruffness. It was Dean that always stuck up for Cas, no matter the aggressor or their origins or the rumors. And Cas protected Dean fiercely when vicious words were spread about Dean’s sexual habits.

Even after high school, the pair of them attended the same college. The were both groom’s-men at Sam and Jess’ wedding years later.

Castiel sometimes looked back on that fateful day when he had inadvertently came out during a high school health class. If only he’d known he’d caught the eye of his best friend of decades, then, maybe he wouldn’t have felt so worried about the next day.  


End file.
